Cactus Plant Flea Market (CPFM) has quickly grown from an underground streetwear experiment into one of the most recognizable brands in global fashion. Founded by Cynthia Lu in 2015, the label thrives on a playful mix of hand-drawn graphics, mismatched typography, and intentionally chaotic design language. But what makes CPFM stand out isn’t just its aesthetic—it’s the deep influence of music and art that flows through every collection, collaboration, and campaignh.

In this article, we’ll break down how music culture and visual art have shaped CPFM’s DNA, its iconic collaborations, and its role in today’s streetwear landscape. 

CPFM’s Origins: Built on Creative Friendships

Before CPFM became a global hype machine, it was closely tied to the world of music. Cynthia Lu worked with Pharrell Williams at his creative collective i am OTHER, where she developed her skills in branding and design. Pharrell’s own eclectic mix of music, art, and fashion would inspire much of CPFM’s philosophy—bold self-expression without rules.

From the beginning, CPFM wasn’t marketed as just clothing. Instead, it felt like wearable artwork born out of music culture, targeting the same creative community that followed Pharrell, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and Tyler, the Creator. This connection ensured the brand stayed rooted in artistry rather than just commercial fashion.

The Role of Music in CPFM’s Identity

1. Hip-Hop & Streetwear Crossovers

Streetwear has always been closely tied to hip-hop, and CPFM is no different. Rappers and producers helped popularize the brand by wearing early drops, giving it cultural weight before it was widely available. Kanye West, Travis Scott, and A$AP Rocky are among the musicians who helped propel CPFM into the spotlight.

These artists didn’t just wear the clothes—they embodied CPFM’s energy. The oversized hoodies, distorted graphics, and playful symbols echoed the free-form creativity of rap and hip-hop production.

2. Merchandise as Art

CPFM has also blurred the line between concert merch and high fashion. Its collaboration with Kanye West on the “Jesus Is King” merchandise was a turning point, blending religious symbolism, bold typography, and CPFM’s signature DIY look. Similarly, CPFM produced highly coveted tour merch for Kid Cudi and other performers, transforming the simple idea of merchandise into collectible art pieces.

3. Music Videos & Stagewear

Artists often wear CPFM in their music videos and live performances, turning the garments into part of the visual story. By appearing in these cultural touchpoints, CPFM designs become more than clothing—they become instruments of performance art.

Artistic Influences on CPFM

1. DIY Aesthetic and Naïve Art

One of CPFM’s trademarks is its childlike, imperfect art style—hand-drawn letters, crooked graphics, and cartoonish figures. This approach reflects the influence of naïve art, a movement that values raw creativity over technical polish.

By embracing imperfection, CPFM challenges the idea that fashion must be clean and symmetrical. Instead, it celebrates a kind of “outsider art” that feels approachable, joyful, and deeply personal.

2. Pop Art & Bold Visual Culture

The oversized smiley faces, colorful lettering, and playful symbols recall the spirit of pop art pioneers like Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. Just like those artists blurred the boundary between consumer culture and fine art, CPFM blurs the boundary between fashion and graphic art.

3. Street Art and Graffiti

Graffiti culture has also left its mark on CPFM. The messy layering of text, the oversized stenciled fonts, and the spontaneous feel of its designs echo the raw energy of street art. In many ways, CPFM garments function like wearable canvases, carrying the language of walls and billboards onto hoodies and tees.

Key Collaborations Blending Music & Art

Kanye West x CPFM: “Jesus Is King”

This collaboration pushed CPFM into mainstream visibility. The merch featured distorted Gothic fonts, religious references, and a raw DIY aesthetic that divided critics but sold out instantly. It was a fusion of spiritual music and disruptive design, perfectly aligned with CPFM’s philosophy.

Kid Cudi x CPFM: Tour Merch

Kid Cudi’s psychedelic sound paired seamlessly with CPFM’s colorful, playful graphics. Their joint merch releases leaned into cosmic themes, childlike sketches, and dreamy motifs, echoing Cudi’s experimental music style.

Travis Scott x CPFM: “Cactus” Synergy

The partnership with Travis Scott felt inevitable given the name overlap (“Cactus Jack” and CPFM). Their collaborations brought together desert imagery, bold text placements, and surreal motifs, bridging music hype with CPFM’s artful design.

Nike x CPFM: Sneakers as Sculpture

While Nike is a sportswear giant, CPFM treated its collaborations as art experiments. The Air Force 1 with oversized bubble letters and the furry Dunk Lows weren’t just sneakers—they were wearable sculptures. Music stars wearing them turned these shoes into cultural artifacts.

CPFM as Performance Art

What makes CPFM unique is that every drop feels like an art performance rather than a simple retail launch. The brand often releases items without warning, with cryptic messaging, or with limited availability that mirrors how musicians release surprise albums.

This approach makes every purchase feel like participation in a cultural moment. Fans aren’t just buying clothes; they’re buying into a performance of creativity, music, and art colliding.

The Symbiosis: Why Music and Art Fit CPFM

1. Music provides the energy.
   Hip-hop, rap, and experimental music give CPFM the rhythm and cultural weight to stay relevant.
   
   
2. Art provides the visuals.
   CPFM transforms artistic influences—graffiti, pop art, outsider art—into wearable statements.
   
   
3. The fusion builds identity.
   Together, music and art create a brand DNA that feels alive, authentic, and culturally significant.
   
   

This symbiosis is why CPFM doesn’t feel like just another streetwear brand. It feels like a creative movement.

Looking Ahead: Future Influences

As CPFM continues to grow, we can expect even deeper connections with music and art:

• Artist collaborations with painters, digital illustrators, or even NFT creators, turning clothing into limited-edition art releases.
  
  
• Music-inspired collections tied to album drops, turning merchandise into part of a storytelling cycle.
  
  
• Experiential pop-ups that blend concerts, gallery spaces, and fashion releases into one hybrid event.
  
  

By continuing to sit at the crossroads of music and art, CPFM will stay unpredictable, experimental, and culturally vital.

Conclusion

Cactus Plant Flea Market is more than a clothing label—it’s an art project fueled by music and visual creativity. Its collaborations with artists like Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and Travis Scott demonstrate how deeply music shapes its identity, while its use of outsider art, graffiti, and pop culture visuals shows its grounding in art movements.

Every CPFM release feels like a living artwork—a dialogue between sound and image, rhythm and design. This unique fusion ensures that CPFM remains at the forefront of streetwear, not just as a fashion brand but as a cultural force where music and art collide.